Vancouver, BC (May 2, 2006) – The 28^th Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival has announced the recipients of the 2006 Wine List Awards.

 

The Wine List Awards pay tribute to the skill, creativity and effort that go into producing a wine list that complements a restaurant’s unique menu and concept. Top restaurants from the greater Vancouver area, Whistler, Vancouver Island, the BC Interior and neighbouring Alberta submitted their wine lists and menus for consideration. Submissions were judged by a panel of leading wine industry experts and wine critics.

 

Awards coordinator Samantha Scholefield, manager of festival administration, said, “The goal of the competition is to be inclusive and recognize the diversity of wine list and restaurant styles that exist. Our aim is to have guests at restaurants recognize the award as a certificate of achievement. We want diners to feel that the wine selections are well chosen and that the staff is well trained to advise them in their choices. It’s really about building confidence – rewarding the work of the restaurant team and assuring the consumer.”

 

VANCOUVER and area

GOLD

• Blue Water Café
• C Restaurant
• Cin Cin Ristorante & Bar
• Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca
• CRU
• Fish House in Stanley Park
• La Terrazza Restaurant & Lounge
• Raincity Grill
• West Restaurant

SILVER

• Caffé de Medici
• Crowne Plaza Hotel Georgia
• Diva at the Met
• Earls Restaurant Ltd.
• Globe@YVR Restaurant (Richmond)
• NU
• Provence Marinaside
• The Cannery Seafood Restaurant
• Vij's Curry Art

BRONZE

• Aurora Bistro
• Bravo Restaurant & Lounge (Chilliwack)
• Haus Uropa Restaurant (Gibsons)
• Fleuri Restaurant - Sutton Place Hotel
• Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House
• Pearl on the Rock (White Rock)
• Tomato Fresh Food Café
• The William Tell Restaurant
• winebar @ fiction

HONOURABLE MENTION

• Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar
• Cassis Bistro   *Great Value
• Ch’i  *Great Value
• Chambar Restaurant
• Hamilton Street Grill
• Morton's The Steakhouse
• Relish Restaurant & Lounge   *Great Value
• Vintropolis Wine Bar & Restaurant

 

WHISTLER

GOLD

• Araxi Restaurant & Seafood Bar

SILVER

• Rimrock Café

HONOURABLE MENTION

• The Wildflower at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler

 

VANCOUVER ISLAND

GOLD

• Arbutus Grille & Wine Bar (Brentwood Bay)
• Dining Room at the Aerie Resort (Malahat)
• Il Terrazzo Ristorante (Victoria)
• Sooke Harbour House (Sooke)

SILVER

• Canoe Brew Pub (Victoria)
• The Mark (Victoria)

HONOURABLE MENTION

• Dock 503 (Sidney)
• Lure (Victoria)
• The Schooner Restaurant (Tofino)
• Spinnakers Brew Pub & Guest House (Victoria)

 

INTERIOR BRITISH COLUMBIA

GOLD

• All Seasons Café (Nelson)

SILVER

• Toasted Oak Wine Bar & Grill (Oliver)

HONOURABLE MENTION

• Lizard Creek Lodge (Fernie)

 

CALGARY & AREA

GOLD

• Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro
• River Café

SILVER

• Catch Restaurant Dining Room
• Piato Greekhouse
• The Ranche

HONOURABLE MENTION

• Café Soleil Mediterranean Tapas & Wine Bar (Banff)

 

BEST FIRST TIME ENTRY Presented by CHUBB INSURANCE COMPANY of CANADA

• Paprika Bistro (Victoria)

 

The Playhouse Winefest’s Wine List Awards are sponsored by Vancouver Magazine and results were released at its annual Restaurant Awards today.

 

The festival is Canada’s premier wine event and is considered one of North America’s top wine shows. The 2006 festival (February 27 to March 5) featured Wine Regions of France as the theme region and attracted a record 21,000 attendees to 52 events; a record 1,320 wines from 185 wineries representing 15 countries were poured.

 

The 29^th annual festival takes place March 26 to April 1, 2007. Next year’s theme is Australian Wine: A World of Difference and the varietal focus is Riesling.

 

Winery applications for the 2007 festival will be accepted online at www.playhousewinefest.com starting May 24.

 

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival has three primary mandates:

 

• It strives to inform, educate and entertain the public and the wine and food trade through a broad range of exciting and innovative wine events and programs.
• It is a trade show and a premier marketing opportunity for the wine and hospitality industry, including participating wine agents, restaurants, hotels, caterers and sponsors. The festival celebrates industry excellence through its awards programs, including Sommelier of the Year, the new Spirited Industry Professional (SIP) Award, Quady Dessert Competition, the Fetzer Great Beginnings Wine and Appetizer Challenge and the Wine List Awards.
• It is a primary fundraiser for the Playhouse Theatre Company, a vital cultural leader and Western Canada’s largest theatre company. The Playhouse’s goal is to “transform lives through our work onstage and our partnerships in the community.”  Since its inception in 1979, the festival has raised over $5 million dollars for the Playhouse, which has enabled the theatre company to mount 197 acclaimed productions and to create extensive educational and community outreach programs. See www.vancouverplayhouse.com for more information.

 

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is sponsored by Chubb Insurance Company of Canada.